Page 79 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

He cleared his throat. “You used to call me Uncle Billy.”

Uncle Billy. The memory came flooding back. I remembered him giving me a stuffed animal for my birthday. Forever ago. Before I even moved in next to Miles. I couldn’t have been more than 5. I didn’t remember him, but I did now. Barely. He looked so different. The years had changed him. “You’re my uncle?”

“No, no, just a family friend.” He laughed. “You moved in next to Miles when Don was closing in on your parents. And I started to stay away. It was safer that way.”

But he hadn’t stayed that far away. “You and my mother…were you…” I let my voice trail away. I needed to rip the Band-Aid off. “Are you my dad?”

“What?” He laughed and then started to cough. “No.” It sounded like he was in pain. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“You always lived near my parents. My aunt said…”

“She lost her mind a long time ago. Yes, I loved your mother once. But that was over twenty years ago. We were just friends when she met your father. And I was fast friends with him too. He was a good man.”

I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. “So why are you a part of this then?”

“It was my fault that Don was trying to find your mother. She chose me over him all those years ago. I was trying to protect her ever since.” He paused. “And then there was you. You were just a kid.” Another long pause. “Summer, it took me forever to find you after Don adopted you. Every time I was close he’d disappear. It took me so long to finally get to you.”

“Why didn’t you adopt me after my grandmother died?”

“I would have. I wanted to. I filed the paperwork but you disappeared. You always just…disappeared. He had ties everywhere. You were in his clutches as soon as you entered foster care. Why do you think you moved around so much even before you met him?”

I wiped the tears away from bene

ath my eyes. “Because no one wanted me.”

“That wasn’t true.”

“The agency said I had my head in my books too much. I was sad all the time. I tried to get the families to like me. But there was always something wrong with me. Always.”

“Summer, there was nothing wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with you. You’ve always been wanted.”

Even those years before Don, I felt so alone. Moving from one foster family to the next. It seemed like everyone around me was adopted. But Don was just keeping me away from Mr. Crawford. Keeping me away from happiness. “What does he want from me?” I wiped my tears away again.

“At first I thought it was revenge. But I think it’s more than that now. He wants what your mother never gave him.”

I was trying so hard to keep it together. Love. He wanted love. “I can’t.” My voice broke.

“Summer, I’m going to get you out of here. He’s not going to hurt you anymore.”

“You did get me out. But he just found me again. He’ll always find me.”

“Take a deep breath, okay?”

“I don’t understand why you did this. Why you left me alone in New York. Why didn’t you just tell me everything? Why didn’t you just let me stay with you?”

“I thought you’d be safer without me. Don wants me dead. I wanted you to know the truth. I knew you’d figure it out when you dug deeper about your new name. And with Miles so close by, you’d have someone if you needed them.”

“Miles is dead. Don killed him right in front of me.” I couldn’t stop the tears now.

“Summer, I’m so so sorry, I…”

“Did he kill my parents too?” That was the question I had been dying to ask. I had to know.

“It was reported as an accident. But he had the cops in his pocket. I don’t know how...” his voice trailed off. “I know he killed your grandmother though.”

“So why hasn’t he killed me yet?”

“Like I said, that’s not what he wants from you.”

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